Transcription

Contents

Overview

The first House of Blues opened on November 26, 1992, in the Harvard Square commercial district and retail area of Cambridge, Massachusetts, as a live music concert hall and restaurant.[3] The company was originally financed by Dan Aykroyd, Aerosmith, Paul Shaffer, River Phoenix, James Belushi, and Harvard University, among others.[4] This original location closed in 2003 as the company sought a larger Boston location.[5] However, the hands-in-concrete driveway where members of the Blues Brothers and others left their mark, still remains. Aykroyd and Belushi remain associated with the brand and are present for most openings, attending and performing as The Blues Brothers.[6]

In 1993 House of Blues launched a 501(c)(3) non-profit called International House of Blues Foundation which provided arts programs, resources and musical instruments for youths. The Music Forward Foundation continues to provide services for youth and has generated more than $20 Million dollars of support for these programs over its 20+ year existence.[7] Also in 1993, The syndicated program The House of Blues Radio Hour, hosted by Dan Ackroyd as Elwood Blues, launched in partnership with CBS Radio Hour. This hour-long program focuses on the history of blues music and the contemporary artists honoring the art form. The program ended in July, 2017.[8]

In 1999, House of Blues acquired Universal Concerts from Seagram.[9] On July 5, 2006, Live Nation acquired House of Blues Entertainment and created the Live Nation Club and Theater Division.[10] As a division of Live Nation, the company currently operates 12 clubs throughout North America.